More than just hot air

Wind tunnel only one part of Jacobs Sverdrup test center

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — As cars and trucks have grown more complex, so have the tests carmakers use to prove out components and new designs.

One of the newest and most sophisticated test centers near Detroit is operated for Ford Motor Co. here by Jacobs Sverdrup, a division of Jacobs Engineering of Los Angeles.

The 225,000-square-foot test center, which includes a wind tunnel and climatic chambers for a wide range of automotive testing, looks like just another industrial building along Southfield Road north of Interstate Highway 94. But it can simulate the thin air near the top of a mountain or the wind velocity of a small hurricane.

For financial reasons, Ford decided that it made more sense to lease rather than own expensive test centers, Jacobs Sverdrup officials say. So Ford has joined the center along with clients from racers looking to gain an edge to suppliers developing new components, says Randy Boss, the site manager of the $120 million test center, which opened in 2001.

"We have access to this great facility but we don't have the financial responsibility for it," said Said Deep, a Ford spokesman.

Boss shows off pictures of tests conducted at the center.

"This is a test we did for guy that owned a vintage Mercedes and he wants to set the land speed record for that class of vehicle. He came in here to make a lot of chassis modifications by changing the attitude and the ride height and things like that to get more performance out of the vehicle," noted Boss, who has worked in the building since it opened in 2000.

Douglas Cook, vice president and automotive operations manager for Sverdrup Technology Inc. in Southfield, Mich., a subsidiary of Jacobs, says the company has transferred expertise it developed in the aerospace and defense industries to the auto industry. The research building in Allen Park, Mich., is used primarily by Ford but the lab is large enough to accommodate work from suppliers such as Visteon Corp and Delphi.

The GT, Ford's "supercar" coming out for 2005, has been through the test center, as has Ford's new F-150 pickup, Boss notes.

"This is where they try to get all the issues worked out before the car hits the road," Boss says. "Say you find out that your throttle body ices up under certain conditions. You want to find it here before the car hits the street. We do a lot of testing of heater performance. You want to work out the bugs before it gets to the customer," says Boss.

Stephen Arnette, vice president and deputy director of professional services for Sverdup, says systems integration is a challenge for automakers.

"If they do a new product, a new engine or new body style developed in isolation then it finally comes together into a vehicle, you don't know all the effects of 140 degrees heat on the entire envelope," said Arnette. "They're getting to a whole new level of driveability based on an objectivity that hasn't been there in the past. It used to be more subjective."

Another objective of the Jacobs Sverdrup-Ford partnership is to reduce the time and money it takes to develop new products, Cook says.

But the heart of the test center is the cavernous, 50,000-square-foot wind tunnel, which was put in service last year. The closed-circuit wind tunnel can simulate winds at speeds of up to 150 m.p.h. through a closed circuit that directs the air flow through a series of obstructions and the nozzle on to the test stand.

The fan that drives the air through the wind tunnel is 23 feet in diameter and operated by a 2,500-horsepower electric motor.

"The air goes through flow-straightening screens to get out the swirls. You're moving the same amount of air through the opening so the speed comes up," says Boss. "What's important is getting a nice straight flow outside the nozzle. You want to simulate the same conditions as if you're driving down the road."

Sverdrup Technology also helped design the Chrysler Group wind tunnel in Auburn Hills, Mich. That $37.5 million wind tunnel opened last summer.It encompasses 31,000 square feet of space at the company's technical center.

"The Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles created with the help of this wind tunnel promise to break new ground in design and performance characteristics, including enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced wind noise," said Chrysler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche in dedicating the facility.